Lt. Governor Jim Cawley Monday set March 18 as the date for a special election to fill the vacancy of the 28th Senatorial District in York County.
The seat was left vacant by the January 12 resignation of Senator Mike Waugh, who represented the district from 1998 to 2014. Earlier, Gov. Tom Corbett announced that Waugh will be the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Farm Show.
Cawley signed a writ of election declaring the seat vacant and directing the Secretary of State to hold the election on the prescribed date in the affected municipalities.
“With the budget debate about to begin, residents of the City and County of York deserve to be fully represented in the legislature. After consulting with Governor Corbett and Senate Leaders, I decided to set an early date to give those citizens the chance to elect a state senator as soon as possible,” said Cawley.
“In early 2014, the Senate will be faced with handling pension reform and exploring changes to Pennsylvania’s liquor system,” Senator Scarnati (R-25) said. “It is imperative to have a newly elected member who will influence and support these important initiatives.”
The senatorial district has been represented by a Republican for nearly 20 years.
“There’s no shortage of major issues facing Pennsylvania right now,” said Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi (R-Delaware). “Holding the special election as promptly as possible will allow the newly elected Senator to be a strong voice for the 28th District as we consider important legislation in the coming months.”
By holding the special election promptly, the newly-elected senator will be able to participate in numerous additional voting session weeks in the spring.
